Spin - Circle Weekly Monthly Challenge

Hello, I hope all is well with you today. Well I am excited as I got another page done and it qualifies to be entered into two separate Circle challenges. First this is a Jana Eubank sketch that I just love. You use 3 photos on it and I love that as I take so many photos that I am always looking to add more to any given page. Don't you just love her work? I used DCWV the new Black Currant Stack that is just so perfect with my photos.

Then I was also able to use this layout for the Monthly Circle Tic-Tac-Toe challenge! And as you can see from the graph on the right I used the Button, Paper Ruffle and a Cut Flower to make this beautiful layout. The great thing about this challenge is you were able to choose your own criteria as long as it formed a tic-tac-toe. 

The flower I used was from Gypsy Wanderings and I hid the little cut out within the flower. All I used was a sheet of paper some foam tape scissors, gems and either glue or I used hot glue and you have a gorgeous flower. This video shows it is as easy as can be.

This video is of me putting the page together, step by step. I forgot how much fun it is to make theses pages and so rewarding!

Here are a few close ups. The flower has plenty of dimension but with the glossy paper it is hard to see as it reflects back at you.

I just love this paper and it is three different shades of pink.

I made the ruffle by first using my score board scoring 1/4" then 1/2" this is 2 12 inch strips.

The rhinestones are just perfect for the center of the flower!

Another close up of the ruffle. I adhered the ribbon with a hot glue gun.

I hope you liked today's post. Our little Sydney is so photogenic and is such a little tom-boy.

Thank you for your sweet sweet words of encouragement. You comments continue to inspire me.

Free Standing Pop Up Card

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend with your friends and families! Aymee Gandy of 'A Scraphappy Southernbelle' here with you on this beautiful Monday morning to share a card that I hope you'll give a try! I sat down this weekend to create a project for today and I was completely scrap-blocked! LOL! Is that a word? I just was having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do. Whenever I am going through these moods I always like to hop over to the 'resources page' at Splitcoast Stampers. They have so many wonderful tutorials over there and it always gets my mojo flowing again. During this weekend's visit, I found a tutorial for a 'free standing pop up card,' and knew I wanted to give it a try. Here is my finished card:

To begin, I read over the tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers a few times. If you would like to see that tutorial, go HERE. I took pictures as I went along as well to share my process with you. So here we go...

1. Cut a piece of cardstock to 4 1/4 x 11" long. You will score this sheet of cardstock to create your 'free standing' base portion of the card. You may use a 'Scor-Pal' if you have one. If not, you can use the groove in your paper trimmer and a bone folder. Normally, I use the paper trimmer/bone folder method. However, I am currently visiting my family in Alabama and I had the opportunity to use my Mom's 'Scor-Pal.' This is one nifty tool let me tell you! I have got to get me one of these!

You will score the piece of cardstock at 1", 2 3/4", 3 3/4", 5 1/2", 7 1/4", 8 1/4", and 10".

 2. To create the space for the 'tag' to slide down into, you will want to measure 5/8" in from the edge on each side at the middle point (5 1/2") of your cardstock. Mark each of these with a pencil.  Cut between these marks to create the slit for your tag to slide down into. You may use a trimmer, craft knife, or scissors to cut the slit.

Now, if you want to create a dimensional tag, you will want to cut this slit a bit fatter. Of course, I had to do this. I always like to add things like pearls, rhinestones, flowers, etc. So I took my craft knife, metal ruler, and glass mat and made my slit wider. The glass mat really made life easier for this. It helps the blade on the knife glide so much smoother.

3. Fold along your score lines to create your base as shown below. On the 1" scored sections at the ends, you will want to apply a strong adhesive such as 'Sticky Strip.' Set Aside. It should look something like this:

4. Now it is time to create our tag for our pop up card. For the tag base, cut a piece of cardstock/patterned paper to 2 1/2" x 5". For the tag shadow, cut a coordinating piece of cardstock/patterned paper to 2 3/4" x 5 1/4".

5. Decorate your tag as desired. (I chose to wait and add my ribbon at the top and embellishments to the tag afterwards.)

6. Slide the tag down into the slit of the base.

7. Attach one side of your tag to the sticky strip/adhesive of your choice. Make sure that the tag is centered.

8. Fold up the other side and attach as seen below. Once assembled, you may decorate the base of your card if desired.

9. Voila!!!  You have a free standing pop up card. Isn't that fun?! I know I had a ball creating this one!

The card will fold flat as well to fit into an evelope.

I hope you have enjoyed today's post and will give this technique a try! It really was so simple and fast! Also, I hope you all have a fabulous day!!! Happy Scrappin' to ya!

Gypsy Made Simple - Tri-Fold Card Starring Birthday Bash

Don't you just love the new E2 Machine? I do too but I didn't buy one as I really didn't need it. And you know I love that exclusive cartridge that they have for those nifty tri-fold cards and decided we needed to make them on our Gypsy, so that is exactly what we are going to do! You know sometimes when you are creating a design it is just impossible to keep it all in your head. For those moments I get out the paper, pens and even markers so that I can tell shat side of the paper my design goes on. Even at that I sometimes second guess myself but that is why the paper is so helpful as you have a reference point. 

This is one of those designs. It is a difficult design that is made easy just by planning and taking it one step at a time. So get your cup of coffee or tea, turn your Gypsy on and let's get to work. This is going to be a long post but the finished card is so worth all the steps you will take to complete it. Oh, and along the way we are going to make a template so you can make another sometime in the future.

First I want you to start out by making the boxes for the base of your card. You can use any cart that you want for the artwork to go on your card but you first need to complete the base. I need you to make 4 boxes: 2x11.50 (square corner), 3.87x2.30, 4.25x3.80 and 3.50x2.30 (all 3 rounded corners). Once you have them made we will continue.

Now you need to line up these boxes as shown in the video. Make sure the final size on your screen is 5.50x11.50. Then you will group and weld the base of the card together.

Once you have this done save your design as 3-Fold Template so that you will always have that to work from. After your artwork is added you will do a Save As with another name so that you will have 2 files. As you are watching this you will see that I made a major sizing error. I didn't change the video as in the 2nd video I discover the error and fix it. I left it as you need to know how to fix your card if you do the same.

Please use what ever cart you have in your collection for artwork to add to the base of your design. Separate out so you have a page for the three elements you choose making it easy for you to layer.

Because of the complexity of the card I took some of my scrap paper and made a practice cut to make sure it cut and folded properly and it was perfect. I have to admit when I have a challenge like this one it gets the blood stirring and keeps me awake until I have a completed project! Watch the next video to see how it all comes together.

I have to admit this was a fun card to do! It was a challenge but well worth the effort!

Now I challenge you to make one of your own and link it up to my site.

I will make the file available to anyone that wants it but I am asking for a donation this time for the tornado victims here in Alabama.  Below please take a moment to see some of the devastation for yourself.

Email your contribution no matter the size via PayPal using the Donate button on the top right on my blog. CLOSED $52 was collected and was donated along with my donation to the Salvation Army. I thank all that participated and the file you have received this now RETIRED. I have never asked for a fee for myself but these people have lost everything and this is one little way that I can help make their lives a little easier.

Thanks for joining me today and I sure hope you learned something new that you can use on your Gypsy. Thank you for your sweet sweet words of encouragement, your comments continue to inspire me.

My First Box

Hello my blogger friends :) I am so excited to share my first box that I made. I am so thankful for being able to be here again this month with all of the other awesome designers. We are getting to be quite the team, THANKS to Miss Sheila ;)

This is the cutest project, I loved it so much that I am working on one for a baby shower that I am going to in June. This one was made for a friend's birthday. I saw that Abby from http://www.scrapbookaholicbyabby.com/  posted this on Peachy Keen stamps, as she was a guest designer and I absolutely fell in love with it. She mentioned that she followed the video from Cricut Chick (I found it on You Tube). So I decided to give it a try. It is very easy to make. I love finding different things that crafters come up with. I know we all scraplift or craftlift from time to time, right? Just make sure to give credit to where you find these amazing creations. That's how we learn different things. I am amazed at this talent out there and am grateful to learn from so many of you. I hope you will check out Cricut Chick's video and make one for someone or one for yourself. Each section, which is 4, I put my friend's favorite candy, jelly belly jelly beans, LOL (say that 5 times fast) into cellophane bags and tied them with curly ribbon. For the baby shower one, I am going to put different baby items in those sections, the ideas are endless. Cricut Chick did one for Thanksgiving and mentioned filling a section with walnuts and putting a nut cracker into another section, very cute idea. I forgot to take a picture of the bottom, it's just a square and I punched out a label and wrote To and From.

I hope you enjoyed visiting me, I sure did enjoy the company ;) Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and as always, thank you Sheila for having me ;)

America The Beautiful Frame

Hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday!
This is Gaby from http://www.gabycreates.com/
Today I created/decorated a frame to celebrate
Memorial Day and a little tutorial on how to make a 3D star.

Here's the tutorial: 

I used the K&Co Americana Collection.	These are the cuts using "Stand and Salute" "Independence Day" and "Dude" Cartridges
I purchased this frame "Bed Post". I was looking for a crackled one, but could not find.	How to create a 3D star from a plain star.
Score at each an every point.	This is what it looks like (minus one)
Fold downward at the peaks.	Fold inward at the valleys.
Play with it my squishing it all together The more you play, the more it works.	Here you see a finished star and a plain star.
Tip: If you are like me and 90% of the time want things inked, but the parts/pieces are too small, use a marker instead of ink.  Here I am using a brown marker to go around all edges.	For very small intricate cuts, you can just tap the marker on the opening/cut.

 Here is a close up of the top banner and 3D star.

 Here is a close up of some of the designs/cuts and the bottom 3D star.

I could not use dimensional foam inside since it is a frame.  I did use 3D glue dots for the stars which I adhered on the outside of the frame.

I am really enjoying decorating frames/shadow boxes lately.  I hope you liked it! 
If you did, please leave a comment! I love reading them!
Thanks for stopping by at She's A Sassy Lady!..'till next month! ~Gaby